Lamp socket resistor



Aug. 16, 1960 H. DOELEMAN LAMP socxz'r RESISTOR Filed Jan. 12, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent LAMP SOCKET RESISTOR Henry Doeleman, El Monte,Califi, assignor to Eldema Corporation, El Monte, CaliL, a corporationof California Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,368

3 Claims. (Cl. 338-70) This invention relates to lamp sockets, and moreparticularly to those of the miniature type adapted for panel display inwhich a' gas discharge lamp is employed requiring a voltage droppingresistor.

In the indicating lamp art, it is known to mount a socket in a panel, soarranged that the socket may hold a lamp and generally containing a capof some transparent material so as to render the lamp visible from thefront of the socket. A widely used type of indicating lamp is agas-discharge lamp, in which the lamp is activated by a voltage causinga glow in the gas contained in the lamp, which may be argon or neon,most generally the latter. It is necessary to limit the current throughsuch a gas-discharge lamp, and it is known to include in socketsgenerally for such a lamp a voltagedropping resistor, which serves thefunction of a current limiting device. No particular problems arise whenthe socket for such an assembly can be as large as desired, but inrecent years such glow lamps have been employed in an increasing scalein applications requiring drastic miniaturization of the socket, both inthe direction of a smaller socket diameter and of a shorter distancewhich the socket projects behind the panel on which it is mounted, i.e.,an over-all short socket is required. Since the voltages required toactuate gas-discharge lamps are rather high, being generally 50 or 60volts minimum, serious problems arise when miniaturization of the typedescribed is attempted with such assemblies, because short circuits mustbe guarded against at all costs, and yet the assemblies must beelectrically and mechanically fully reliable. Most of the criticalproblems arise in connecting or attempting to connect thevoltage-dropping resistor, which is generally of the tubulardouble-ended pigtail type for reasons of space and economy.

As will appear from the detailed description which follows, I haveinvented a novel and useful lamp socket which overcomes the aforesaidminiaturization problems completely, while at the same time permittingease of manufacture and assembly.

In the attached drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view of my inventive lamp socket assembly shown inplace mounted through a hole in a panel.

Figure 2 is an enlarged drawing, partly in section, of the device shownin Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken at the point indicated by the dashedlines in Figure 2, and looking toward the rear of the socket assembly.

Figure 4 is another cross-sectional view taken at the point indicated inFigure 2, and looking toward the front of the lamp socket assembly.

Figure 5 is an exploded view my lamp socket assembly.

Coming now to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that I provide a socketconsisting generally of a tubular housing which may be convenientlythreaded on its front and so as to receive lock nuts 30 and 31. Thefront end of the socket assembly is capped by a transparent of theinterior parts of cap or lens 32, of perhaps polystyrene or methylmethacrylate polymer, mounted in a threaded shell 33. The assembly isshown in place on a panel 34 of which only a fragment is shown in thedrawings.

For clarity of explanation of my invention, there is shown in Figure 2 aneon glow lamp 35 in its own base 36 having a pair of pins 37 and 38 forelectrical connection.

The rear portion of the tubular housing 10 is undercut for a portion ofits length adjacent to the end as appears from Figure 2. Seated in thisundercut portion are a first holder 16, a spacing washer 2'5, and asecond holder 17. The configuration of these parts is clearly shown inFigures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Both holders and the spacing washer are made ofelectrically insulating material, such as a melamine plastic or thelike. The first holder 16 has two slots running the entire length of theholder which serve to retain electrodes 12 and 13. The second holder 17has first of all a recessed portion as appears partly from Figures 2 and5, while the balance of the interior of the second holder 17 ispenetrated by two circular holes which receive pin sockets 14 and 15.These are commonly made of brass or Phosphor bronze or beryllium copper,and may be gold-plated. The second holder 17 also has a recess thereinwhich has a teardro'p cross-section, as appears from Figures 2, 4 and 5.Second electrode 13 is mechanically and electrically attached to secondpin socket 15 as by soldering. First electrode 12 is mechanically andelectrically connected to a lead 20 of the pigtail resistor, theresistor itself being contained in the aforementioned recess inholder-17. The tear drop shape of this recess allows the second lead 21of the pigtail resistor to be doubled back so that it can bemechanically and electrically connected to the first pin socket 14, inthe fashion shown in the drawings. The peculiar configuration of thesecond holder 17 permits an exceedingly compact arrangement of pinsockets and resistor, all properly connected, and with no danger ofshort circuiting. I have found it convenient to provide a space washer25, which serves to hold electrodes 12 and 13 in their proper places andto prevent direct contact of the end of first electrode 12 and first pinsocket 14. This relationship is clearly seen in Figure 2.

The assembly of the device from its component parts Will be evident fromFigures 2 and 4. After the parts named have been placed in position asshown in Figure 2, the end of the under-cut portion 11, of the tubularhousing is crimped about first holder 16, thus holding all of the partspermanently together. The neon light 35 can be conveniently replaced byremoving cap 33, and pulling the lamp out through the front of thesocket.

It will be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects. It is to beunderstood that numerous modifications and changes may be made withinthe spirit of the invention, and the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp socket assembly comprising, in combination: a tubular housinghaving an undercut portion of greater inside diameter than the remainderof said housing adjacent one end thereof; first and second electrodes;first and second pin sockets; a first holder in said housing ofinsulating material traversed by and retaining said first and secondelectrodes; a second holder in said housing of insulating materialtraversed by and retaining said first and second pin sockets; saidsecond holder having a single-ended recess of tear-drop cross-sectionadapted to hold a pigtail resistor therein; a pigtail resistor havingtwo leads in said recess in said second holders; an electricallyconducting juncture between said one lead of said resistor and saidfirst electrode; an electrically conducting juncture between said otherlead of said resistor and said first pin socket; and an electricallyconducting juncture between said'second electrode and said second pinsocket.

2. A lamp socket assembly comprising, in combination: a tubular housinghaving an undercut portion of greater inside diameter than the remainderof said housing adjacent one end thereof; first and second electrodes;first and second pin sockets; a first holder in said housing ofinsulating material traversed by and retaining said first and secondelectrodes; a second holder in said housing of insulating materialtraversed by and retaining said first and second'pin socket; said secondholder having a single-ended recess of tear-drop cross-section adaptedto hold a pigtail resistor therein; a pigtail resistor having two leadsin said recess in said second holder; an electrically conductingjuncture between said one lead of said resistor and said firstelectrode; an electrically conducting juncture between said other leadof said resistor and said first pin socket; an electrically conductingjuncture between said second electrode and said second pin socket; and aspacing washer of electrically insulating material between said firstholder and said second holder and traversed by said second electrode anda lead of said pigtail resistor.

3. A lamp socket assembly comprising, in combination: a tubular housinghaving an undercut portion of greater inside diameter than the remainderof said hous- 4. 1 ing adjacent one end thereof; first and secondelectrodes; first and second pin so'ckets; a first holder in saidhousing of insulating material traversed by and retaining said first andsecond electrodes; a second holder in said housing of insulatingmaterial traversed by and retaining said first and second pin sockets;said second holder having a single-ended recess of tear-dropcross-section adapted to hold a pigtail resistor therein; a pigtailresistor having two leads in said recess in said second holder; anelectrically conducting juncture between said one lead of said resistorand said first electrode; an electrically conducting juncture betweensaid other lead of said resistor and said first pin socket; anelectrically conducting juncture between said second electrode and saidsecond pin socket; and a spacing washer of electrically insulatingmaterial between said first holder and said second holder and traversedby said second electrode and a lead of said pigtail resistor, saidtubular housing being crimped around said first holder so as to maintainit against said spacing washer and to maintain said spacng washeragainst said second holder.

Booth Nov. 30, 1926 McArron July 21, 1953

